My Deer Garden

Plant record · Shrub

Is Drooping Leucothoe deer resistant?

Leucothoe fontanesiana

Arching evergreen shoots of drooping leucothoe
Photo by homeredwardprice, CC BY 2.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.
Damage step 1 of 4 · Rarely Damaged

Yes. Deer almost always leave this alone.

Type
Shrub
Hardiness
Zones 4–6
Light
Full shade to part shade
Height
24–72 in
Bloom
Spring
Maintenance
Low
Native range
11 US states
Toxic to
dogs, cats, and horses

Damage steps follow a published university field scale. How plants are rated.

About Drooping Leucothoe

Arching evergreen shoots with new growth in bronze-red, and one of very few broadleaf evergreens deer reliably leave alone in a shaded bed.

It has narrow requirements and fails visibly outside them. It wants acid soil, consistent moisture and shade, and it scorches badly in afternoon sun: leaves go brown at the margins and the plant looks burnt by August. A north or east aspect under high shade is the right place.

Leaf spot is common in humid summers and worse where air does not move. Thinning old stems out at the base rather than shearing the outside helps more than spraying.

Cut winter-damaged shoots right down in spring. It regrows from the base readily.

Soil and care

Soil pH
4.5 to 6
Drainage
Consistently moist
Water
Moderate
Spacing
59 to 94 in apart
Growth rate
Slow
Maintenance
Low

Tolerances and uses

Evergreen

Similar to Drooping Leucothoe

Other shrubs with the same deer rating.

Where Drooping Leucothoe grows

Hardy across 41 states on zone range alone, and native to 8 of them. Mountain and coastal areas sit outside the ranges used here, so check your own zone before ordering. Select any state, including one it will not grow in, for what is resistant there.

Alabama — not hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Alaska — hardy here. Zones 1 to 8.Arizona — hardy here. Zones 5 to 10.Arkansas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.California — not hardy here. Zones 7 to 10.Colorado — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Connecticut — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Delaware — not hardy here. Zones 7 to 7.District of Columbia — not hardy here. Zones 7 to 8.Florida — not hardy here. Zones 8 to 11.Georgia — not hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Hawaii — not hardy here. Zones 9 to 12.Idaho — hardy here. Zones 3 to 7.Illinois — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Indiana — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Iowa — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Kansas — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Kentucky — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.Louisiana — not hardy here. Zones 8 to 10.Maine — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Maryland — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Massachusetts — native, and hardy. Zones 5 to 7.Michigan — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Minnesota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Mississippi — not hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.Missouri — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Montana — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.Nebraska — hardy here. Zones 4 to 6.Nevada — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New Hampshire — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.New Jersey — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 7.New Mexico — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.New York — native, and hardy. Zones 4 to 7.North Carolina — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.North Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 4.Ohio — hardy here. Zones 5 to 6.Oklahoma — hardy here. Zones 6 to 8.Oregon — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Pennsylvania — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Rhode Island — hardy here. Zones 6 to 7.South Carolina — not hardy here. Zones 7 to 9.South Dakota — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Tennessee — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Texas — hardy here. Zones 6 to 9.Utah — hardy here. Zones 4 to 9.Vermont — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Virginia — native, and hardy. Zones 6 to 8.Washington — hardy here. Zones 5 to 8.West Virginia — hardy here. Zones 5 to 7.Wisconsin — hardy here. Zones 3 to 5.Wyoming — hardy here. Zones 3 to 6.
Native and hardyHardy on zone rangeNot hardy — still linked
Choose a state from the listeasier on a phone

Common questions about Drooping Leucothoe

Is Drooping Leucothoe deer resistant?
Drooping Leucothoe (Leucothoe fontanesiana) is rated Rarely Damaged, step 1 of 4 on the damage scale this site uses. Deer almost always leave this alone.
What hardiness zones does Drooping Leucothoe grow in?
Drooping Leucothoe is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 6. Outside that range it will either not survive winter or will struggle with summer heat.
Does Drooping Leucothoe grow in shade?
Yes. Drooping Leucothoe tolerates full shade to part shade, which makes it one of the options for a shaded bed where deer also browse.
How big does Drooping Leucothoe get?
Mature height is roughly 24–72 in. Growth rate is slow.
Is Drooping Leucothoe toxic to dogs or cats?
Yes. The ASPCA lists Drooping Leucothoe as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses. Site it away from where animals graze, or choose something else if you have a dog that chews.

Browse from here

Every list Drooping Leucothoe belongs to.

All shrubs·Rarely damaged·Shade plants·Evergreen shrubs

Hardy in these zones

Zone 4·Zone 5·Zone 6

Damage ratings follow the four-step field scale published by Rutgers University. Growing data is compiled from state extension sources and still being verified record by record. Last reviewed .